Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson recently quipped at a birthday party that “you’ve got to have a good f****ng chairman” if you want to make it as a football manager. Ferguson, 77, boasts a managerial record that no one in the game even comes close to. Over 26 successful years at Old Trafford, […]

Alex McLeish is not surprised Lee Bowyer has been such a success as a manager. The Scot was the man who brought Bowyer to Birmingham City in January 2009 – a move that at the time was a risk. Bowyer was 32-years-old and a bit-part player at West Ham – to say nothing of that […]

Alex McLeish is not surprised Lee Bowyer has been such a success as a manager.

The Scot was the man who brought Bowyer to Birmingham City in January 2009 – a move that at the time was a risk.

Bowyer was 32-years-old and a bit-part player at West Ham – to say nothing of that fact that four years earlier Blues’ supporters had protested about Bowyer’s proposed transfer from Newcastle amid the fall-out of his on-field confrontation with Kieran Dyer.

When he did arrive, it proved to be a masterstroke.

From scoring on his debut – a stoppage time equaliser against Cardiff, to helping win the Carling Cup two years later, Bowyer made 94 appearances for Blues and scored 12 times.

This is your round up of all things Birmingham City; the one-stop shop that will keep you updated on the latest goings on at St Andrew’s and beyond.

Transfers, injuries, match-days and managers, we’ve got you covered.

We’ll be bringing the very latest on Blues throughout week and around the clock.

“At that time we were going for top players towards the end of their careers but still with decent legs,” the Scot told BirminghamLive.

“Lee Bowyer was one in that category and I thought ‘God, that’s great if we could get a guy like Lee before his legs finally go’.

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“His ability to get from box to box was astonishing, his late runs, his timing of the runs, his third man runs, I remember getting taught it way back in my early days at Aberdeen with Alex Ferguson.

“You don’t see it much these days, Lee was just a special talent in that department.

“I remember the incident at Newcastle and I know the passion of the guy having had him in the dressing room

“The weekend before we played the semi-final against West Ham, I left him out of the starting line-up for the Old Trafford game – where we got beat.

Alex McLeish

“Lee was a bit annoyed that he didn’t start, I blooded young Jordon Mutch because I wanted to keep key guys for midweek.

“I was more concentrating on the midweek game and Lee said ‘Why are you leaving me out for young boys?’

“I took him away privately and said ‘Look Lee, I am keeping you for Wednesday – you are first choice’.

“I don’t normally tell players before a game they are definitely playing but it was at the front of my mind which players I wanted against West Ham.

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“He responded amazingly, there was no hangover from his shouting match in the dressing room, he was the star in the West Ham.

“I loved working with him – he is such a good guy.”

If there are people surprised that Bowyer has made the transition into management – if only given his proclivity to pick up yellow cards, McLeish is not one of them.

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Indeed Bowyer has been at Charlton for the last 18 months and has guided them out of League One and to an unbeaten start in the Championship.

Their next opponents are Birmingham City who will arrive at The Valley on Saturday on the back of consecutive 3-0 away defeats.

Against a backdrop of unrest at Athletic Bowyer has proved himself as talented a manager as he was a player.

(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

“It was difficult to see him going into coaching because he had brought some bloody fishing lake in France or something. I thought he wasn’t interested in continuing his career path,” McLeish continued.

“But then I saw that he was coaching at Watford and I thought ‘Lee’s back in football’. Then when he went to Charlton you are wondering ‘Is he going to stick this – as an assistant?’

“Then when he got the job he just took off – he has been absolutely brilliant. His results have pretty phenomenal from being nearly men to being Championship contenders.

“Coming from a lower division that’s a remarkable surge.

“If you would have said ‘Lee is going to be a manager’, I would have said he could be because he had a good rapport in the dressing room with everybody.

“He didn’t suffer fools gladly and he knew if somebody was taking the **** – that was the kind of character he was.”

Stephen Ireland has claimed Alex McLeish wanted to speak to Manchester United about signing the midfielder – because he was ‘too good’ for Aston Villa. Ireland, 33, spent four years at Villa Park after his arrival from Manchester City in 2010 as part of the deal which saw James Milner move in the opposite direction. […]

Stephen Ireland has claimed Alex McLeish wanted to speak to Manchester United about signing the midfielder – because he was ‘too good’ for Aston Villa.

Ireland, 33, spent four years at Villa Park after his arrival from Manchester City in 2010 as part of the deal which saw James Milner move in the opposite direction.

He played a bit-part role in his first season at the club under Gerard Houllier who replaced Martin O’Neill just a month into the campaign, making only 10 appearances in the Premier League despite having impressed for City in the years prior to the move.

It was under Houllier’s successor Alex McLeish that Ireland became more involved for Villa, returning from a loan stint at Newcastle United to be given the number seven shirt following Ashley Young’s move to Manchester United.

Stephen Ireland gets away from David Luiz

He was voted as fans’ player of the season as McLeish led Villa to a 16th-place finish which ultimately cost the Scot his job as manager.

And Ireland has claimed McLeish rated him so highly that he wanted to chat to legendary United boss Sir Alex Ferguson about a potential move to Old Trafford.

“Alex McLeish was such a nice guy, a kind of father figure,” he told The Athletic.

“He said to me: ‘I don’t know what to do with you. I want to kick the balls in the channel and chase them but you’re too good to be here. You’re jeopardising the team because they’re not on the same wavelength as you.’

Manchester United legend Nemanja Vidic says Peter Crouch and Craig Bellamy gave him a shock in the Premier League. The Serbian sensation was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2006 for £7m from Sparktak Moscow. Liverpool had been vying for his signature too, but he opted on a move to the Theatre of Dreams. Having […]

Gary Lineker has explained why he turned down moves to Manchester United in 1985 and 1989 as a player. Lineker is known for representing Leicester, Everton, Barcelona and Tottenham during his playing career, but an exchange on Twitter has revealed he twice had the option of playing for United. The former England striker turned Match […]

Gary Lineker has explained why he turned down moves to Manchester United in 1985 and 1989 as a player.

Lineker is known for representing Leicester, Everton, Barcelona and Tottenham during his playing career, but an exchange on Twitter has revealed he twice had the option of playing for United.

The former England striker turned Match of the Day host was replying to a user who had screenshot part of a previous interview where he explained why he did not join United in 1989 under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Lineker had just left Barcelona, and explained in an interview with FourFourTwo that a move to Spurs looked like it was set to fall through.

“Right at the 11th hour it suddenly appeared that Spurs might not be able to do the deal, financially,” his answer read. “That’s when my agent spoke with Alex Ferguson, who was keen to take me to Old Trafford.

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“It was close to being done, but then Tottenham came back and said they could do it. You have to remember that the Manchester United of 1989 weren’t the Manchester United of four or five years later.”

That quote was sent to Lineker by a user who wanted to know if there was a chance of him joining United four years previous in 1985 when Ron Atkinson was in charge.

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But Lineker set the record straight, insisting he wanted to join Everton at the time.

“No, I wanted to go to Everton and I did,” he Tweeted. “Important to remember that @ManUtd were very average at the time and Everton were champions.”

United may rue missing out on the striker, with Lineker going on to score 30 goals in 41 appearances for Everton between 1985 and 1986 while he netted 67 goals in 105 appearances for Tottenham in 1989-1992.

]]>https://soccer.10ztalk.com/2019/09/10/gary-lineker-explains-why-he-did-not-join-manchester-united-under-sir-alex-ferguson/feed/0Manchester United in 2008 or 1999 – which team is better?https://soccer.10ztalk.com/2019/09/09/manchester-united-in-2008-or-1999-which-team-is-better/
https://soccer.10ztalk.com/2019/09/09/manchester-united-in-2008-or-1999-which-team-is-better/#respondMon, 09 Sep 2019 15:05:34 +0000https://soccer.10ztalk.com/2019/09/09/manchester-united-in-2008-or-1999-which-team-is-better/

Manchester United’s two Champions League triumphs to date came in 1999 and 2008. And 20 years on from their first ever taste of European glory, Starsport assesses which team – made up of the most regular performers from each season – would beat the other. Goalkeepers: First up, what is for sure is that Ole […]

Manchester United’s two Champions League triumphs to date came in 1999 and 2008.

And 20 years on from their first ever taste of European glory, Starsport assesses which team – made up of the most regular performers from each season – would beat the other.

Goalkeepers:

First up, what is for sure is that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s current side would not stand a chance against either of Sir Alex Ferguson’s heroic units.

Between the sticks, David de Gea is possibly the only modern-day player who could arguably make it into both line ups.

However, the importance of Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar cannot be underestimated to the respective successes domestically and in Europe in both 1999 and 2008.

It is almost impossible to split the two as they each also performed reliably at the highest level for United for years, but we would suggest Schmeichel just edges it just because Van Der Sar had such a top class centre-half partnership in front of him.

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Defenders:

Speaking of that defensive duo, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand are so formidable, even a prime Jaap Stam cannot compete with them.

Crucially, Stam did not have a regular partner alongside him throughout the 1998/99 campaign.

Ronny Johnsen started 30 matches across all competitions, but Phil Neville, Wes Brown, Henning Berg and even David May all figured during the season as Ferguson had to rotate too often.

At full-back Gary Neville would have likely figured in both teams had it not been for him being ruled out for almost all of the 2007/08 season.

Brown deputised admirably in his most important campaign in a red shirt, while at left-back, Patrice Evra and Denis Irwin were leaders and warriors of their respective generations.

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Midfielders:

Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes played enough across both seasons to make the team each time despite the nine-year time difference.

The latter was famously suspended for the Bayern Munich final at the Nou Camp as Nicky Butt played instead, and he did so regularly throughout in the 1998/99 season, but he did make the 2008 final as United beat Chelsea on penalties in Moscow.

The differences, then, were United legends David Beckham and Roy Keane from 20 years ago, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Carrick replaced them nine years on.

Ronaldo’s achievements since in world football stand him as one of the best to have ever graced the pitch, but he was still developing to an extent during his United days.

Keane is one of United’s greatest captains too, so the midfield is a really tough call and would likely depend on the form on the day, as Carrick’s influence was always underestimated as well.

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The ’08 side may edge it in the middle of the park purely due to Ronaldo’s goalscoring and massive influence in attack as his 42 goals in that season was his first truly iconic campaign.

Forwards:

Up front, United had two prolific partnerships which were somewhat short-lived in both cases.

Yorke and Cole’s wavelength is what any strike pair dream of having, as the two were in perfect harmony throughout the 1998/99 season.

Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo were pivotal for Man Utd in the 2007/08 season

Tevez, meanwhile, offered Rooney proper support on top of Ronaldo following his arrival from West Ham.

United relied far more on Yorke and Cole for their goals in 1999, and that just edges it, with Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham having had to largely wait for their moment throughout the season until the very last moment… memorably in Catalonia.

It’s the 2008 team which just edges it, and the main reasons being is for Ferguson’s heroic centre-half pairing and Ronaldo’s world-class form throughout the campaign.

The 1999 side was just as well balanced, but in terms of a couple of superstar performers, they were just lacking a cutting edge which is why they were just minutes away from losing the ’99 Champions League final 1-0.

10 Daley Blind – £13.8m The Dutch defender has perhaps been best appreciated for his talents since a career resurgence at Ajax, but he did enjoy some good spells at Manchester United. Blind was solid under compatriot Louis van Gaal with his performances at left back a particular highlight of his reign. The 29-year-old continued […]

The Dutch defender has perhaps been best appreciated for his talents since a career resurgence at Ajax, but he did enjoy some good spells at Manchester United.

Blind was solid under compatriot Louis van Gaal with his performances at left back a particular highlight of his reign. The 29-year-old continued to perform steadily under Jose Mourinho but never really fit in with the style of play which the Portuguese liked.

Very few people would say that he didn’t justify the fee spent on recruiting him.

9 Marouane Fellaini – £27.5m

He might not fit the stereotype of a ‘typical United player’ but Fellaini did have his uses as an option who could change matches from the bench.

The Belgian played a key role for three different United managers before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer finally sold him earlier in the year, but his time at Old Trafford was still somewhat of a success.

Fellaini netted crucial goals in cup runs, but will ever be synonymous with the failings of David Moyes at the club.

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8 Sergio Romero – Free

Widely regarded as the best back-up goalkeeper in the Premier League, Romero has been a steady performer since arriving at the club.

Deservedly played a key role in the Europa League success and is always a dependable goalkeeper if the rare instance that David de Gea isn’t selected.

Would be higher if he had played more frequently.

7 Luke Shaw – £31m

A recent dip in form has unfairly tarnished the legacy of Shaw at United, but without a string of injuries he might very well have established himself as the best left-back in the Premier League.

Fitness issues have plagued the player at time but he proved himself under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and there weren’t many complaints when he won the club’s player of the year award last season.

Still has a lot to give the club, and could yet justify his transfer free even further.

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6 Victor Lindelof – £30.9m rising to £39m

After a troubled first season in English football it is to immense credit that Lindelof was viewed as the best defender at the club last term.

His fortunes appeared to change following a very impressive performance at home against Juventus last season and he maintained the levels of consistency throughout the campaign.

Lindelof hasn’t started the new season that well, but few have. If he can settle down alongside Harry Maguire than United might finally have a centre back partnership worth singing the praises of again.

5 Juan Mata – £37.1m

An Anfield brace and winner in the Manchester derby should be enough to cement Mata’s place this high on the list, but his contribution has been beyond that.

Mata was good under both Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho but has not really been viewed as a regular stater since the Dutch manager left the club.

Deserved his new contract in the summer window and is one of few dressing room leaders remaining after the summer overhaul under Solskjaer.

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4 Anthony Martial – £44m rising to £58m

The dream debut goal against Liverpool earned him an immediate cult following and his scoring exploits this season have once again reminded fans of just how good Martial can be.

Inconsistency has marred his reputation somewhat but the French forward is thriving once again playing in a central attacking role.

We should get a better idea of just how good he is now Romelu Lukaku has left, but his destiny is in his own hands now he has Solskjaer’s full backing.

3 Paul Pogba – £89m

Well this one will divide supporters. Pogba has certainly been a marketing success for the club, but then that in itself is part of the problem these days.

The French midfielder is quite clearly the most naturally gifted player in the United squad and he has the capability to win any game singel-handidly. Again, this has rarely been seen in a United shirt, but in each of his season’s at the club there have been moment of genuine world-class ability.

His new role under Solskjaer has him playing much better, but the continued transfer talk throughout his time at the club will always be held against him.

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2 Ander Herrera – £29m

The Basque midfielder was rather harshly treated by some fans following his summer exit to Paris Saint-Germain, but he was a solid performer at the club and always performed when required.

Prior to Shaw’s success last season Herrera was the only outfield player to have won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club.

Successfully reinvented himself as a defensive midfielder under Mourinho and would still be a starter in midfield had he agreed to a new deal at the club.

1 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

You’ve already guessed it by now. Ibrahimovic’s place on this list United not only highlights his brilliance, but showcases just how little competition there has been.

The Swede reinvigorated United with a winning mentality which they desperately lacked and was part of a side which won three trophies during his debut season.

In the same season he turned 35 Ibrahimvoic still managed to score 28 times before his United career was effectively ended by an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

One of very few quality signings since the legendary Scottish manager left the club, but for a free transfer he has to be on the top of the list.

Roy Keane aimed a cheeky dig at Manchester United’s fiercest rivals during his appearance at the Off The Ball Roadshow in Dublin on Wednesday night. Keane’s comments on Sir Alex Ferguson and Jon Walters garnered plenty of attention towards the back end of the week but a jibe he made about Liverpool’s title drought went […]

Roy Keane aimed a cheeky dig at Manchester United’s fiercest rivals during his appearance at the Off The Ball Roadshow in Dublin on Wednesday night.

Keane’s comments on Sir Alex Ferguson and Jon Walters garnered plenty of attention towards the back end of the week but a jibe he made about Liverpool’s title drought went unnoticed by many.

Discussing United’s dominance in the late 90s and early 2000s, the show’s co-host Joe Molloy reflected: “You guys are at your peak, you’re winning the championships pretty easily and then you mention the Leverkusen game…”

It was at this point that Keane interjected, saying: “I’m sorry, you say, ‘you’re winning the championships easily’. You don’t win championships easily, don’t kid yourself, mate. Let’s get the facts right here.”

He then added: “Ask the Liverpool fans. It was tough.”

Asked whether he felt United’s group of players underachieved by not winning more Champions Leagues while he was at the club, Keane – who had earlier said he doesn’t consider himself to have won the competition as he missed the 1999 final through suspension – responded: “I definitely felt at the time, with the group of players we had, I think if I’d have won the Champions League even once with United, I don’t think that would have satisfied me.

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“We always felt, especially with some of the games we let go, a couple of semi-finals that we let go. The Leverkusen game [in 2002], certainly, and obviously the Mourinho one with Porto, the quarter-final [in 2004].

“But that’s top-level sport. It’s cruel. You have to go and earn the right to win it and you need a bit of luck. You look at the Porto game. Scholesy had a goal disallowed. Some dodgy linesman, obviously there’s no VAR. And these are defining moments in a game.”

Keane went on deny the suggestion that United may have rested on their laurels in Europe after winning the Champions League in 1999.

Gary Neville has revealed what went on behind the scenes when Roy Keane left Old Trafford in acrimonious circumstances 14 years ago. The midfielder swapped Manchester United for Celtic before calling time on his professional career after falling out with manager Sir Alex Ferguson and assistant Carlos Queiroz. Keane made his feelings known about the […]

Michael Owen insists that Manchester United’s squad is just as strong as Liverpool’s – they just do not play with the same cohesion. And Owen, who has played for both Liverpool and United, thinks that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s task is to try and get his players to have a better understanding – just like Jurgen […]